Exploring Lake Como’s Monte Grona

The route towards Mount Grona (1736m, 5,695 ft) starts in Menaggio. The first section of the path rises 384m in altitude and ends after an hour or so trek at the Menaggio Refuge. After the refuge, and climbing another 356m, you will reach Mount Grona’s summit. The total walk takes around one and a half hours.

Getting there: Drive from Menaggio to Plesio and then on to the houses of Monti di Breglia, which is where the walk starts.

Follow the dirt road until you come to a sign showing the way to the Menaggio refuge. Keep going until you reach an altitude of 1120m, where the path forks in two. One of the two paths leads to the refuge. The higher one on the right is more scenic and is easier going than the lower path which passes through dense forest. Keep on the path which will continue to rise until you come to a hillside trail which will take you to the Menaggio refuge.

From the refuge, you have three options:

1. Follow a steep trail to reach the crest which connects Mount Grona to Bregagno. Then turn left to take the path that climbs the north-east ridge of Mount Grona and follow it to the summit.

2. Look for and then take the path indicated by the “Direttissima” sign. This trail will take you to the top of a gorge on the saddle between Mount Grona’s main summit and its northern peak (you will arrive at the same point as indicated by route 1. above).

3. Follow the “panoramic” path signs. This trail climbs gradually until you find yourself under the main peak.